Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-01

The cross-examin- BENJAMIN HOPKINS.
alton of Hoyt was brief. He said he
was broker on margins. Had known
Hopkins for about two years, but had
never met Harper in his life.
Judge jackson: "Did any valuable consid-
Grafton move Hopkins when he gave these
checks NO sir
Hoyt's testimony makes out strong case
against Hopkins Hopkins all along has
maintained an air of injured Innocence
but Hoyt showed him up either a specula-
tor for himself or as HarPers agent.
The next three witnesses were c. j. ker-
shaw, William Monroe, and A. W. Green, all
of Chicago Their testimony was not of
much interest Then Joseph W. Wiltshire
took his place in the witness-box. He was
shown 81, $40, SO in checks endorsed by Viii
shire Eckert Il CO. on j. W. Wiltshire, and
identified all, saying either Mr. Eckert or
himself had Endorsed the checks. Wiltshire
then testified that there was an understand
ing between him and Harper that the checks
were to be protected whether there was any
money in the bank or not
In the course of the examination the follow
ing questions were asked:
Queston.-Now. Mr.. Wiltshire, you have testi-
| ity under an arrangement made in each instance
between yourself and f. l. Harper; please state
| what the arrangement with reference to the
| wheat deal
| Answer-We, the arrangement simply
| that he was to protect the wheat that he WIS ear
| rying through That is, when We were called on
| for money were to get it from him. In regard
| TO the checks the understanding was that he was
! to take care Of them when they were deposited,
| and presume he did il.
| Glow much wheat did you buy in the aggre-
gate?
! A-Thare must have been all tod, nearly 2i-
| 600 900 bushels: that is bought and sold OF
course some was bought and sold again. 1t
would change from one month to another We
would buy one month and make transfer. 1t
was really purchase and sale
| Q-What was the amount you had on hand at
the time of the break A.-Well, over A. 0oO, 900
bushels of cash wheat, and l have forgotten the
amount of option
Q-About how muchg A.-Well about 5, eco 900
or 5000 600 bushels
O-Then you must have had about p, coo 900
bushels in round numbers? A.-Nes, sir.
Continuing the examination, it was brought
out that the loss on this wheat would be
about $500, 900 on each million bushels, but
Wiltshire said That would depend entirely
on how they sold it out They must have
sold some out before the extreme decline"
Mr. Burnett-For whom we're you carrying all
this wheat? A-For + l.. Harper. The ar
rangement was that he was TO furnish the money
to margin this wheat TO a point where the banks
and brokers Of Chicago would carry it. 1t was all
bought option wheat, but whenever the option
would mature we were obliged 10 receive it and
pay for it
Mr. Wiltshire then testified that on the
night of June IA, 1881 he went to Chicago,
and before he went Harper gave him an en-
velope in which Harper stated was $500, 900,
which was to be deposited with the Ameri-
can Exchange National bank, of Chicago il
that bank would carry out the instructions
sent in dispatches previously. The money
was to be deposited to the credit of Kershaw
& Co, of Chicago, and to be used in sustain
ing the market.
| This ended the examination for the day.
Mr. Wiltshire did not look at Harper once
while he was on the witness stand The lat
ter turned red when he heard his former as
sociate giving such damaging testimony.
Maj Blackburn and Judge Wilson, coun.
sci for thu defendant, looked at each other in
establishment, but they did not betray any
trepidation. The jury listened very closely
to Wishires testimony, and Judges Jackson
and Sage showed their interest by asking oc.
casional questions.